Fight. Resist. Organize. Litigate.

A Message from Associate Director Paromita Shah

Our collective fight against President Trump is just beginning. Together, a horrendous situation is being met with great force, creativity, litigation, and resistance.

Although NIPNLG as a small organization tends to work behind the scenes and avoid the limelight, we wanted you to know what your support has made – and is making – possible.

In brief, we've been working around the clock to support organizing, agitating, and impact litigation from coast to coast.

In brief, we've been working around the clock to support organizing, agitating, and impact litigation from coast to coast.

From airport actions across the US this weekend, to Trump counter-inauguration actions on 1/20 and the historic Women’s March on 1/21 (including supporting Canadians seeking U.S. entry for the Women’s March), to a lawsuit just filed today suing the President – it’s been a busy January!

NIPNLG will continue to pursue legal remedies that protect the U.S. constitution and defend the rights of all immigrants, independent of race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. Toward this end:

On January 28th, following President Trump’s order to ban immigrants from 7 Muslim-majority countries, NIPNLG took on the case of a 70-year old Iranian woman, one of 9 immigrants detained at the Dallas, TX airport. Working with allies, we filed a lawsuit early Sunday morning. Despite a federal judge in Brooklyn temporarily halting the order, officials were still not releasing our client. Further, we learned that the group was being coerced into withdrawing their individual requests for admission. We then added the rest of the detainees to the action. After an emotional and trying weekend for the families of these detainees, all 9 were released on Monday. Read about our client's case in the Washington Post and the whole affair in the Dallas News.

On January 30th, we co-filed a nationwide, class action lawsuit challenging the executive order because it violates the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. It was filed on behalf of tens of thousands of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR’s) who have filed immigrant visa petitions for immediate family members who are from the 7 predominantly-Muslim countries. The applicants have all faced rigorous screening processes and have plans to reunite with families in the U.S. Now they are blocked, and the government is suspending or revoking their other visa applications. This is unconstitutional.

We also recently filed a lawsuit (Wagafe v. USCIS) to challenge the U.S. government’s unlawful delay and denial of citizenship applications under a secretive, sub-regulatory policy that tars many noncitizens as ‘national security concerns’ - without notifying them, or allowing them the chance to explain that the designation is incorrect.

We cannot overstate how much your support is integral to NIPNLG's efforts. Your generous backing strengthens cutting-edge litigation, support for immigrant community organizing on the ground, and movement lawyering strategies. In sum, you are helping to fight, resist, organize, litigate.